Many teams stay with a KYC provider they have outgrown. Onboarding is the front door of the business, and if it breaks, signups stop. The risk is manageable when you switch in stages instead of in one weekend.

Common reasons to move include low pass rates on certain ID types, gaps in country coverage, slow support, pricing, or missing products such as AML screening.

Step 1: Document What Your Current Flow Does

List every check in order: ID types accepted, liveness, face match, database lookups, retry rules and error messages. Then note which of your own systems read which fields from the provider’s response.

Step 2: Map the Data and Add an Adapter

Match each field and result code from the old provider to its equivalent in the new one. Then put a thin adapter layer between the provider and the rest of your app, so everything else reads one internal format. The switch becomes a change in one place, and the next switch becomes easier.

Step 3: Agree Pass and Fail Rules Before You Test

Providers score differently, so a match score of 90 from one is not the same as a 90 from another. Decide your thresholds on a sample of your own data, not on the vendor’s defaults. Write down what counts as a pass, a fail, and a manual review, so you can compare the two providers fairly.

Step 4: Test in a Sandbox First

Run every main journey in the new provider’s sandbox: a clean pass, a failed ID, a failed liveness check, a timeout, and a user who abandons halfway. Confirm that your adapter, your error messages, and your webhooks handle each one.

Step 5: Run Both Providers in Parallel

This is the step that protects you most. Send the same sessions to both providers, but act only on the old provider’s result. Compare pass rates, false rejections, time to verify, and how often each result needs manual review. Any gap shows up here, before a real customer is affected.

Step 6: Roll Out in Phases

Move a small share of traffic first, for example 5%, then 25%, then 50%, and then everything. Pick the numbers that suit your volume, and hold at each stage long enough to see a clear trend. Track these:

• Onboarding completion rate
• Pass rate
• Time to verify
• Manual review rate
• Cost per verified customer

Step 7: Keep a Fallback Ready

Set limits in advance, such as an error rate or a drop-off rate that triggers a move back to the old provider. Keep the old contract running until the new setup is stable. Cancelling early removes your safety net exactly when you need it.

Step 8: Plan for Customers Who Are Already Verified

Customers who passed KYC with the old provider generally do not need to repeat it just because you changed vendors. What you do need is their records. Before you give notice, check what data you can export, in which format and for how long the old provider keeps it, and confirm your own retention duties with your compliance team. Re-verify existing customers only when risk calls for it.

How Dojah Fits Into a Switch

Dojah makes steps 4 and 5 easier to run. Its sandbox uses mock data and carries no charges, and requests and responses have the same shape as production, so what you test is what you ship. EasyOnboard is a no-code flow that combines KYC, identity verification and fraud checks, so your team can set up and adjust the flow without writing code.

A good switch is boring for customers: same flow, same speed, no new errors. Map before you move, test in parallel, shift traffic in stages and keep the old provider until the numbers hold.

Switching KYC providers should not cost you signups. Fintechs and banks can set up no-code verification flows and test them in the sandbox first with Dojah’s EasyOnboard.

FAQs

How long does it take to switch KYC providers?
It depends on how many checks, countries and internal systems rely on the old provider. A single-check flow can move quickly, while a multi-country setup with several dependencies takes longer. The parallel run is the step to give extra time.

Should I run both providers at the same time?
Yes, for a period. Running both lets you compare pass rates and speed on real sessions while customers still get decisions from the provider you trust today.

Do existing customers need to be re-verified?
Usually not just because you changed vendors. Keep their records, check your retention duties, and re-verify only when risk or regulation calls for it.